Stop Looking At Your Clock In The Middle Of The Night

If you wake up in the middle of the night DO NOT check the time. It’s usually irrelevant if you have an alarm set and it’s much harder to get back to sleep when you start to worry about how many hours of sleep you have left.

We keep it on our nightstand, under our pillow or like some of us fall asleep with it in our hands, wherever you have it, you probably keep your phone right next to you. But when it comes to falling asleep or falling back asleep, looking at your phone is the last thing you want to do.

YOUR MIND STAYS ENGAGED

Whether we’re using it for entertainment purposes or work related, looking at the time will have you obsessing on how much more or how little sleep you’ll be getting. Many find along with that, comes ‘to do’ lists, deadlines etc..When you feel that you always need to stay connected you’re not giving your brain a chance to relax and not be engaged. So Log Off!

THE BLUE LIGHT

Not only will the blue light strain your eyes, but it suppresses melatonin levels which isn’t healthy for your brain as it mimics the appearance of daylight making you feel wide awake and alert. Your circadian rhythm is thrown off simply by that blue light exposure which in turn affects your internal clock.

REM IS DELAYED

Scrolling through your phone causes distractions, anxiety, and racing thoughts. Hearing the notifications or feeling the vibrations keeps you awake and alert which delays REM sleep.

Some other helpful tips to easily fall back asleep…

-Take away any clocks from sight to avoid obsessing over the time

-Invest in black out curtains to avoid extra light coming in

-Remove the television from your room to train your body that the bed is for sleeping, electronics free

-Ask a healthcare professional about taking melatonin and if it’s right for you

-Cut electronics 30-60 minutes prior to bedtime

-Establish a bedtime routine

We’re in a time where we feel naked without our phones and without realizing it we spend countless hours plugged in, whether answering emails, texts, watching cute youtube videos of puppies dancing or continuously checking the time, counting the hours you have left before your alarm sounds. So set your alarm and place it across the room with the screen facing down, and avoid the temptation to check the time and finally catch those zzzz’s!